Chaos

Sooner

"What's it like?"
"Speak clearly to me." I muttered miserably.
"what's it like being the daughter of the most dangerous and ruthless vampire in the world?" Jezebel asked. Yuik and I were sitting on the same couch, waiting for Ruby to arrive.

"That's none of your business."
I crossed my arms over my chest and my leg over the other. I was clearly in a reserved stance, but Jezebel ignored it. The Ducal representatives were seated next to the fire and speaking in a low to normal tone of voice.

"Then why are you here, were you forced? I was forced..." Jezebel picked the nonexistent dirt beneath her nails and marvelled at their painted beauty. What was the point in painting them if they were to be mauled in the hunt? She reminded me of Valentine in her useless antics.

"Is Valentine coming?" Howard asked me. He clutched the cushion close to his chest. He was the smallest, weakest male here. "I suppose she is your half-sister isn't she? or... step-sister?"

"I don't know, I don't care."
I hope she didn't, the meeting would be unbearable if she did. Just then- I heard a faint click of the door outside the hallway. Yuik and Boak simultaneuosly flicked their pointy ears in that direction, but neither of them bothered to look. I smelled the intruder too: Zombie Ivy.

Dread filled my body as the scent infiltrated my nostrils. However, the person who entered the room was Duchess Ruby and Stephen, no Valentine in sight. I audibly sighed in relief as Ruby sashayed into the room, Stephen in tow.

"Fashionably late, I see."
Kower greeted them in a similar manner as he did us, except this time he faintly kissed Ruby's hand. Kower then led her to the round table in the other room. Everyone followed after them. All but Yuik, Jezebel and Howard. They were unprepared to take on their filial responsibilities. Jezebel huffed and retreated; Yuik hardly cared; Howard seemed relieved.

I entered the room with them and sat beside Azrail in a tall chair. This exalted and powerful look of his was actually inspiring. But he looked like a Panther trapped in 9-5 cubicle. I felt it too. The formalities were doing my head in, or it could've been the zombie ivy Valentine rubbed off on Ruby.

They spoke and I listened, picking apart every aspect of every subject in the room. Ruby hadn't much to say other than making points of improvement humanitarian wise in the covens. She was like HR in the company of Vampires. Boak noted the humans awareness of the vampire community, their activity in relation to vampires. I also then learned that vampire hunters were dwindling, so then travelling plans could continue. Kower organised such plans for expansion but was also responsible for making transcripts of the meeting. He and Dread, adorned a small set of glasses as they typed and wrote down key points of the conversation.

"Security, Azrail?"
Pfft- security? Him? He is the danger. Azrail's mood visibly hardened, his eyes were killer sharp and it made the weaker counts uncomfortable. The weaker being Reuben, Dread and Boak.

"Nothing to report", He stated tightly. Liar... I read the reports in his stead.

"Increased cases of mutilations and missing person's reports around covens in the western parts of Canada and in the northern states of America, close to the border. Cursed and Rogues alike appear to have heightened aggression similar to rabies. The only solution seems to be putting them down."

Since he wasn't going to be truthful, I will, i needed everyone's cooperation to conclude this investigation. It was probably in his interest to delay my leave as long as possible. No one seemed surprised I took the lead here and continued with their questions.

"Have the origins of these cases been discovered yet?" Boak asked.
Kower listened with interest; Ruby had Stephen massage her hand as she supposedly listened; Dread took note of everything that was said at the table while his son; Edward looked at me absentmindedly; Reuben closed his eyes and dipped his head in a listening position.

"No, testing is underway in The Void, we have things under control and several key suspects we've interrogated", I continued. The last few items of my report were lies, but this was a precautionary measure.

"May we know the details of this investigation?" Kower asked.
"Due to the fragility of the ongoing investigation, no", I answered.

"Are you in charge of this investigation, Chaos?" Kower gave a slight smile, as if he already knew the answer.

"Due to the fragility of the ongoing investigation, I cannot answer any of your questions. This is the end of our report." Azrail seemed satisfied with my response and attempted to give me some recognition for it. He just looked awkward, and thankfully, no one noticed.

"Since this is the meeting concluded, let's move onto less formal matters", Kower smiled maniacally as he relaxed into his chair, Ruby's face lit up in response. Dread finally lifted his head from his notebook and folded his glasses away. Edward rested his cheek on the table and continued to stare at me.

"How are preparations for the annual Cage?" Reuben asked Azrail.
"Well underway." So ambiguous.

"You can be so curt, Azrail, Chaos is there anymore you can tell us?" Kower leaned back impossibly more, deflated from Azrail's response.

"Nothing that should and can be disclosed at the moment. You will have to wait and see." In truth, I heard nothing about this supposed 'Cage' or any plans to participate.

"You don't know about it?" Kower asked in surprise, he leaned forward in interest and flicked his gaze between Azrail and I's stony faces. Not an inch in my face let it known that I acknowledged his assumption. It seemed it didnt matter in the end, he continued. "Azrail you should groom your heir well, how could she not know of the Macabre tradition?"

"That's none of your business", Azrail hissed. His discomfort could be felt in waves and his eyes were like silver embers. How Kower withstood that hostility so coolly, was beyond me. I didn't care so much. I had time to learn, and fitting the role wasn't my biggest priority.

"You guys are so much alike", Jezebel entered the meeting room with Yuik and Howard following behind her.

"Jezebel", Reuben exclaimed in exasperated alarm. Boak called for his daughter, Yuik, to sit by his side and Howard shyly sat beside Kower.

"Chaos, this is usually a time for us Heirs to get along", Jezebel explained. She sat far from her father, much like I had. "We already know you aren't acquianted with Lord Azrail yet, how old are you?"

"278 years old in human years", I answered. In actuality, I was the second youngest person here with 9 vampire years to my name. 30 human years was the equivalent of 1 vampire year, effectively.

"So young and yet so responsible and poised, You must have been through a lot", Yuik muttered. Boak massaged her scalp lovingly. Azrail observed their behavior longingly, but no one else would understand these expressions of his as being emotive- except maybe Kower.

"you forget, Azrail met his fated later than all of us. And bared an heir much later too", Ruby responded. It seemed, the relationship between heir and successor was closer than I had anticipated. There was less formality between heirs and Sucessors.

Azrail and I remained silent. At this point, the meeting seemed unimportant and it was time for us to leave. I stood up and Azrail followed suit, leaving the chairs untucked.

"Leaving already? You should have Chaos socialize, Azrail", Kower announced.

"it's true Azrail", Boak agreed. "Having her leave would be detrimental to the future relations between our heirs."

I cut my eyes at the wines who had spoken. "The formalities are over aren't they? If there is nothing more to add, then we will take our leave."

Azrail and I turned away and exited the room. I could briefly hear Jezebel huff. "They always leave..."